12 November 1942:
At 1530, Abe's Bombardment Force and Kimura's DesRon 10 make a rendezvous with Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Takama Tamotsu's (former CO of HARUNA) DesRon 4 sweeping unit: ASAGUMO (F), HARUSAME, MURASAME, SAMIDARE and YUDACHI. Abe orders the destroyers to form a tight double half-ring formation as an anti-submarine measure. NAGARA follows with BatDiv 11 in column behind. The force proceeds south down the "Slot" at 18 knots.
13 November 1942:The First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal:
At 0150, Abe's force commences a night gun battle with American cruisers and destroyers. During the ensuing action, Abe's force sinks ATLANTA (CL-51) and destroyers CUSHING (DD-376), MONSSEN (DD-436), LAFFEY (DD-459) and BARTON (DD-599). SAN FRANCISCO (CA-38), PORTLAND (CA-33), HELENA (CL-50), JUNEAU (CL-52) and STERETT (DD-407) are damaged.
In the engagement, the Americans sink destroyer AKATSUKI with all hands. YUDACHI is also sunk. HIEI is damaged as are AMATSUKAZE, MURASAME and IKAZUCHI. NAGARA is straddled by SAN FRANCISCO and hit by one 5-inch shell. Six men are killed, but the ship sustains only minor hull damage.

Abe abandons the bombardment mission and retires westward around Savo Island with HIEI, NAGARA and DesRon 10's destroyers. That night, KIRISHIMA takes HIEI in tow and retires westward around Savo Island with NAGARA and DesRon 10's destroyers. HIEI is later sunk by planes from Henderson Field, ENTERPRISE and B-17 bombers from Espirtu Santo.

Admiral Yamamoto relieves Abe of tactical command and orders his deputy Vice Admiral Kondo to shell Henderson Field the next night. For this tasking, Kondo orders his battle worthy forces to rendezvous north of Guadalcanal.

At 0630, Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi (38)(former CO of KIRISHIMA), Commander, Eighth Fleet, sorties from the Shortland Islands for Guadalcanal in CHOKAI (F) with KINUGASA, light cruiser ISUZU and destroyers ARASHIO and ASASHIO. Mikawa's mission is to carry out Kondo's original plan and bombard Henderson Field with his cruisers where Abe failed with his battleships. Rear Admiral Nishimura's Bombardment Unit, heavy cruisers MAYA, SUZUYA, light cruiser TENRYU and destroyers KAZAGUMO, MAKIGUMO, MICHISHIO and YUGUMO accompany Mikawa.
360 miles south of Guadalcanal. Captain (later Vice Admiral) Thomas L. Gatch's (USNA ‘12) USS SOUTH DAKOTA (BB-57) escorting Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Thomas C. Kinkaid's (USNA ‘08) Task Force 16's USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) from Noumea, New Caledonia to Guadalcanal, joins Captain (later Vice Admiral) Glenn B. Davis' (USNA ‘13) new battleship WASHINGTON (BB-56) and destroyers PRESTON (DD-379), BENHAM (DD-397), WALKE (DD-416) and GWIN (DD-433) at sea. As ordered by Vice Admiral (later Fleet Admiral) William F. "Bull" Halsey, Jr (USNA ‘04) ComSoPac, they form Task Force 64 under the command of Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Willis A. Lee (USNA ‘04) aboard WASHINGTON.
At 2210, Kondo's Force gathers at the rendezvous point at Ontong Java. He forms an Emergency Bombardment (Volunteer Attack) Force composed of KIRISHIMA, CruDiv 4's ATAGO (F) and TAKAO. DesRon 10's NAGARA and six destroyers form a Screening Unit while DesRon 3's light cruiser SENDAI and three destroyers form a Sweeping Unit. Carrier JUNYO, battleships KONGO and HARUNA and the remainder of Kondo's Second Fleet Advanced Force are to hold station as distant cover.
14 November 1942:
Between 0130-0200, CHOKAI, MAYA and SUZUYA bombard Henderson Field, then retire towards Shortland.
During the day, Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Tanka Raizo's (41) reinforcement convoy is attacked repeatedly by aircraft from the "Cactus Air Force" on Guadalcanal and ENTERPRISE's Air Group. Six of Tanaka's 11 troop transports are sunk or abandoned and one damaged so severely that she is forced to return to Shortland. Tanaka presses on with his four remaining transports.
15 November 1942: The Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal:
Iron Bottom Bay off Savo Island. TF 64 approaches Guadalcanal on a northerly course in a column formation. At 0016, WASHINGTON opens fire on SENDAI with her 16-inch main battery. SENDAI makes smoke, puts about and retires undamaged.
NAGARA and her destroyers engage the Americans with gunfire and "Long Lance" torpedoes. During the action, more than 30 torpedoes are launched at SOUTH DAKOTA. Amazingly, they all miss her, but destroyers PRESTON and WALKE are sunk and BENHAM is so badly damaged that she must be scuttled the next evening by GWIN (by gunfire, after attempts with four Mark 15 torpedoes fail).

KIRISHIMA hits SOUTH DAKOTA with a single 14-inch shell. SOUTH DAKOTA also takes 23 hits from ATAGO and TAKAO that wreck her superstructure, but do not threaten the ship. Meanwhile, undetected, WASHINGTON approaches to within 5,800 yards of KIRISHIMA and with radar-directed fire, sets her afire, disables two of her 14-inch turrets, destroys her rudder and holes her at the waterline. SOUTH DAKOTA and WASHINGTON's secondary armament guns hit destroyer AYANAMI and she has to be scuttled by URANAMI.

At dawn, Tanaka lands about 2,000 troops by running his four remaining transports aground on the beach near Tassafaronga. No attempt is made to save badly battered KIRISHIMA and she sinks at 0325.

18 November 1942:
Arrives at Truk.
20 November 1942:
Flagship of Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Takama Tamotsu's (41) DesRon 4, replacing YURA sunk on 25 October. Newly commissioned AGANO becomes flagship of DesRon 10, replacing NAGARA. DesRon 4 then consists of three divisions of nine destroyers: DesDiv 2 with three destroyers, DesDiv 9 with two and DesDiv 27 with four. Guardship duties.
Captain (Vice Admiral posthumously) Shinoda Katsukiyo (44)(former CO of AKATSUKI) is appointed Commanding Officer. Captain Tawara is reassigned as CO of NOSHIRO and later as CO of YAMASHIRO on which he dies of natural causes.
20 December 1942:
Departs Truk.
27 December 1942:
Arrives at Maizuru. Refit.
28 December 1942:
Drydocked. No. 5 140-mm gun is removed.
13 January 1943.
Undocked.
20 January 1943:
Departs Maizuru.
21 January 1943:
Arrives at Tokuyama, refuels.
22 January 1943:
Departs Tokuyama.
24 January 1943:
Anatahan, 60 miles W of Saipan. During gunnery exercises, NAGARA sustains damage to her superstructure after the accidental explosion of a shell.
25 January 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
31 January 1943: Operation "KE" - The Evacuation of Guadalcanal:
DesRon 4's NAGARA departs Truk with a task force consisting of units of the Second and Third Fleets including carriers ZUIKAKU, ZUIHO and the JUNYO, Bat Div 3's KONGO and the HARUNA, CruDiv 4's ATAGO and TAKAO, CruDiv 5's HAGURO and MYOKO, DesRon 10's light cruiser AGANO and destroyers. The task force steams north of the Solomons as a feint to cover Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Hashimoto Shintaro's (41)(former CO of HYUGA) destroyer force from Rabaul.
9 February 1943:
Arrives back at Truk. The Japanese successfully evacuate 11,700 troops from Guadalcanal. Thereafter, training and waiting with the Combined Fleet for an opportunity to engage the American Fleet.
23 June 1943:
Departs Truk carrying elements of the Yokosuka No. 2 Special Naval Landing Force.
26 June 1943:
Arrives at Nauru, disembarks troops and departs.
28 June 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
8 July 1943:
Departs Truk.
11 July 1943:
Arrives at Roi Island, Kwajalein. Departs that day escorting carrier JUNYO.
13 July 1943:
Arrives at Truk. JUNYO embarks more aircraft.
14 July 1943:
Departs Truk with JUNYO.
15 July 1943:
Arrives at Kavieng. JUNYO delivers the aircraft she is ferrying. While mooring, NAGARA detonates a mine laid at night by Australian PBY "Catalina" flying boats. The mine slightly damages her bottom under the stern, but she is able to operate.[2]
At 1635, USN codebreakers intercept and decrypt a message from NAGARA that reads: “The NAGARA temporarily anchored at Kavieng bearing 110 degrees distance 1 kilometer from Suisatto Cape at 1210. At 1450, what appeared to be a floating mine exploded. One landing craft which was alongside (carrying ----) sunk, one slightly damaged. NAGARA unable to revolve No. 5 and No. 6 ----- (can make temporary repairs); other damage very slight. ----. Will get underway from here at 1730 and proceed to Rabaul.”
16 July 1943:
Departs Kavieng.
17 July 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul.
19 July 1943:
Arrives at Truk with JUNYO.
20 July 1943:
DesRon 4 is deactivated. NAGARA becomes flagship of Rear Admiral (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Isaki Shunji's (42)(former CO of MAYA) DesRon 2, replacing JINTSU sunk on 12 July. DesRon 2 is attached to Second Fleet and consists of DesDivs 24, 27, 31, plus three attached destroyers.
21 July 1943:
Departs Truk.
26 July 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
31 July 1943:
Departs Yokosuka with escort carrier UNYO and the destroyers AKEBONO, USHIO and SHIRATSUYU.
5 August 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
9 August 1943:
Departs Truk.
14 August 1943:
Arrives at Kure.
16 August 1943:
Arrives at Maizuru. That same day, Captain Rear Admiral posthumously) Kitamura Mayasuki (45) is appointed Commanding Officer. Captain Shinoda is later reassigned as CO of YAMASHIRO replacing Captain Tawara.
20 August 1943:
NAGARA is relieved as flagship of DesRon 2 by the newly commissioned NOSHIRO. NAGARA is attached to Vice Admiral, the Baron, Samejima Tomoshige's (37)(former CO of NAGATO) Eighth Fleet.
Drydocked and refitted. A Type 21 air-search radar set is fitted. Four twin-mount Type 96 25-mm AA guns are installed.
7 October 1943:
Departs Maizuru.
9 October 1943:
Arrives at Hashirajima.
18 October 1943:
Departs Hashirajima.
23 October 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
24 October 1943:
Departs Truk.
27 October 1943:
Arrives at Rabaul. Departs that day.
29 October 1943:
Arrives at Truk.
1 November 1943:
NAGARA is transferred from the Eighth Fleet to Vice Admiral Kobayashi Masami's (38)(former CO of YAMASHIRO) Fourth Fleet. She relieves KASHIMA as flagship of the Fourth Fleet.
12 November 1943:
Departs Truk to protect light cruiser AGANO torpedoed by USS SKATE (SS-305). AGANO is first taken under tow by light cruiser NOSHIRO that heads for Truk.
14 November 1943:
NAGARA and destroyer URAKAZE take over towing AGANO.
16 November 1943:
Arrives at Truk with the AGANO in tow.
20 November 1943: American Operation "Galvanic" - The Invasion of the Gilberts:
Forces under Vice Admiral (later Admiral) Raymond A. Spruance (USNA ‘06), Commander, Central Pacific, invade Tarawa and Makin Islands. The invasion fleet of 200 ships includes 13 battleships and 11 carriers.
22 November 1943:
Departs Truk with CruDiv 7's SUZUYA, KUMANO and CHOKAI and destroyers HATSUZUKI, SUZUTSUKI, HAMAKAZE, FUJINAMI and HAYANAMI in response to the invasion of Tarawa.
26 November 1943:
Arrives at Kwajalein.
4 December 1943:Kwajalein. Rear Admiral Charles A. Pownall’s Task Force 50 attacks Kwajalein and Wotje Atolls, Marshalls. Aircraft from LEXINGTON (CV-16) and INDEPENDENCE (CVL-22) sink ASAKAZE and TATEYAMA MARUs, auxiliary subchaser TAKUNAN MARU No. 7 and guardboat MIKUNI MARU No. 5. The planes also damage light cruisers NAGARA and ISUZU, stores ship KINEZAKI, auxiliary vessel FUJIKAWA MARU and transports EIKO, KENBU and MIKAGE MARU No. 18.
5 December 1943:
Enroute to Roi, the cruiser force is attacked by TBF torpedo-bombers and SBD dive-bombers from Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) Alfred E. Montgomery's (USNA ‘12) Task Group 50.3's USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) and ESSEX (CV-9). NAGARA is damaged slightly by near-misses. That same day, repair ship YAMASHIMO MARU begins repairs on NAGARA.
9 December 1943:
NAGARA departs Kwajalein.
12 December 1943:
Arrives at Truk. Emergency repairs are carried out, probably by the fully-equipped repair ship AKASHI.
13 December 1943:
At 1150, USN codebreakers at Fleet Radio Unit, Melbourne, Australia (FRUMEL) intercept and decode a message that partially reads "2 men killed and ? injured in NAGARA when bombed in Marshal1s at 0510 on 5th December."
15 January 1944:
Departs Truk towing destroyer NAGANAMI whose stern had been damaged by an aerial torpedo in the 11 November air attack on Rabaul.
25 January 1944:
Arrives at Kure. Detaches and departs.
26 January 1944:
Arrives at Maizuru. Refit. NAGARA's No. 7 140-mm gun mount is removed and replaced by a 127-mm unshielded HA gun mount. The fore and aft twin torpedo tubes are removed and replaced by two quadruple tube mounts aft. The catapult is removed and replaced by two triple-mount Type 96 25-mm AA gun mounts bringing NAGARA's total 25-mm AA suite to 22 barrels (2x3, 6x2, 4x1). DC rails are installed in the stern and a Type 93 hydrophone set is fitted in the bow.
7 April 1944:
Captain Kondo Shinishi (49) is appointed Commanding Officer.
10 April 1944:
Undocked.
24 April 1944:
Departs Maizuru.
25 April 1944:
Arrives at Hashirajima.
8 May 1944:
Captain Vice Admiral posthumously) Nakahara Giichiro (49)(former CO of DesDivs 24 and 32) is appointed Commanding Officer.
15 May 1944:
NAGARA becomes flagship of DesRon 11, Combined Fleet, replacing TATSUTA sunk on 14 March. Thereafter training with new destroyers in the western Inland Sea.
19 June 1944:
Departs Hashirajima.
21 June 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka.
29 June 1944:
Departs Yokosuka on a transport run.
30 June 1944:
Arrives at Chichi Jima. Unloads and departs.
2 July 1944:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Begins refit. Ten single mount Type 96 25-mm AA guns are installed bringing NAGARA's 25-mm suite to 32 barrels (2X3, 6x2, 14x1). A Type 22 surface-search radar is fitted.
10 July 1944:
Departs Yokosuka.
12 July 1944:
Arrives at Kure.
14 July 1944:
Departs Moji transporting personnel of the Second Air Fleet.
16 July 1944:
Arrives at Okinawa. Disembarks personnel.
21 July 1944:
Arrives at the Inland Sea.
30 July 1944:
Departs Kure for Sasebo.
2 August 1944:
Departs Sasebo for Kagoshima. Embarks personnel of the Second Air Fleet.
3 August 1944:
Arrives at Kagoshima and departs.
5 August 1944:
Arrives at at Naha, Disembarks 505 personnel and 20 tons of cargo
7 August 1944:
Departs Kagoshima for Sasebo with a subchaser and two floatplanes as aerial cover. NAGARA is spotted by veteran submariner LtCdr (later Rear Admiral-Ret) John E. Lee's (USNA ‘30) new USS CROAKER (SS-246) on her first war patrol. Lee lets NAGARA close to 1,300 yards and fires a salvo of four stern torpedoes. At 1222, NAGARA is hit starboard aft by one of the torpedoes. At 1240, she sinks by the stern off Amakusa Shoto at 32-09N, 129-53E. Captain Nakahara and 348 crewmen are killed, but 235 other men are rescued.
Captain Nakahara is promoted Vice Admiral, posthumously.
10 October 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

Authors' Notes:
[1] Japan Self Defense Force.
[2[ Some sources credit the mine as being laid 4 June 1943 by USS SILVERSIDES (SS-236).
Thanks go to "Adm. Gurita" of the Netherlands, the late John Whitman for info on CNO intercepts of Japanese messages and to Hans Mcilveen of the Netherlands for info on FRUMEL intercepts. Thanks also go to Brian Corijn of uboat.net. for info on HMS TRUANT and to Matthew Jones for providing additional CO info. Thanks also go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany.
- Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.